ReView

Welcome to 2007. Best wishes! Here is my review. After the review, I hope to follow with a conclusion.
Let me add that in this review a bit of cesorship is needed, so not to mention people's names and very private things in which case I will indicate with [...]. Of course it is very unlikely that any one will read this in its entirety, but I think I should. Here it goes.
P.s. Before starting the review, let me add a line from notes from a file I found in my computer that I had forgotten about:

"After speaking to more people [...] and great help from the Artist’s way exercises, it became clearer that the need for resolution and a final resolution and knowing the right answer and being completely in the awareness is a myth.

این راه را نهایت صورت کجا توان بست؟ کش صد هزار منزل بیش است در بدایت
This is the path of no end, path of discovery of love and music and the experience of creativity and ecstasy of performance. The stage is like a shrine, a beloved.

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REVIEW:

1- Studies
2- Collaborations and Projects

Studies:

There is of course way too much to learn. Too many people I’d like to study with, and too many courses I’d like to take and too many things. Some of what I wanted to do was as follows. Of course it would have been quite a feat to have achieved all I liked to achieve, realizing that I had to make money as well. So Here is goes:

- Fiddling: This was C’s Suggestion and a great idea to learn to approach the violin from another perspective, to explore a new relationship to the violin.

I had tried getting in touch w/ Anne Lindsey with no success. So the efforts were fruitless until just very recently when I contacted Anne Lederman, another fiddler in town. I’m looking forward to this and I hope I can learn. One of course hopes to have time to practice not to look bad, but that’s not the real reason I’m getting myself into this I hope.

- Classical Violin: Again C was strong in saying that the Classical connection is crucial professionally, that a lot comes from that front. I myself agree that the classical world is not only fascinating in its own way it is so diverse that the study of violin is practically study not of the music stylistically but technically. I’ve been very interested in the mechanical/technical relationship to the instrument.

This has been followed through consistently, at least as far as going to the lessons are involved. I believe I have discovered some new things, relationships and faced old weaknesses. I appreciate that Mark treats me not like a child, and that I can have a say. I often don’t take advantage of opportunities for expressing my opinion. Let us wish for a more consistent and real work on the music. He demands it, that makes a difference.

- Sankaran and South Indian Music: A great master is in town and I like the music. Why not continue with it?

I spoke with professor Sankaran early in September and decided on a bi-weekly lesson, possibly with Avesta. [..., ...] Nevertheless I got to perform with Trichy Sankaran, the mighty musicians’ musician. What follows, is questionable in a way. I’d like to continue, I don’t want to give up and keep changing my decisions, but I’d like to transfer the rhythmic ideas into the melodic instrument, and I know Sankaran is one of they poeple who could help with that. He might even appreciate it more. But I don’t want to give up the Kanjira. I suppose I should speak to him when he's back from India in March.

- Voice and Katherin Duncanson: Again another of C’s suggestions [Hmmm this says something about me, no?]. I had done a singing gig, that’s all. But I’ve wanted to play and sing with my violin in the past. Voice is one of the fundamentals of music. I had actually spoken to her at Peter Chin’s party. I knew she had interdisciplinary things going.

This was good for a bit, but largely due to my collisions with Shirin the process suffered from irregularity. But this wasn’t the only part. Katherine’s practice (ie. What she teaches one on one, is focused mainly and only on mechanics and production, which is very valuable for me, but I didn’t have a musical context for using my voice, so this again seemed purposeless and withered. I know I like to sing. I need to join a choir or start singing some Persian Music.

- Piano: This has been my weak link, I wonder how I will get over it. The piano is a great instrument for the loner. I have always wanted to play the music whole, not just the violin part, I want to learn mote about harmony, about the world that is foreign to me. I also love the piano.

Piano was another of the efforts that withered, partly due to the overwhelming amount of work I created for myself. I actually quite enjoyed the piano, and the attention needed for sight reading. I would have like to play some Beatles and some Philip Glass. But it all withered. Perhaps, partly because of L’s niceness, perhaps too nice, ( do you now see what it is to be just a bit too nice, not to follow through, not to engage with the whole? This attitude reminds me much of myself.) So I have to see, and consider the options: going back to L, starting w/ someone else, doing it on my own.

- Baroque Dance: The beauty of this music and the relationship of the music to dance, a great world to discover.

The summer course was not continued, because of the matters of schedule. I have said that I will sign up for this term.

- Modern Dance: This was Shirin’s suggestion. I was one day very jealous of this friend of ours who was dancing and she said to me: “well go ahead and do it.” (twice a week).

This was a much greater fun and challenge than I had imagined. A world, so interesting and so humbling, that I really really needed it and still do. True, the classes are amazingly important, but the work one does on one’s own, the figuring out of things, the calculation, the associating of the sides, and limbs and then doing it fully or sometimes just trusting the physical intelligence is what really matters: Real needed education for the body. I cannot do a full commitment this term since my schedule has changed. Once a week should still be good, provided that I do go to the contact jams regularly and revisit the ideas, combinations, etc.

- Alexander Technique: This world was to be continued after I discovered it, I’ve known this.

Our bi-weekly pattern seems to work, I’m happy, progress is slow, but if any, I know it’s real. I might consider taking it a step further in the future and study for my teachers’ license.

- Contact Dance: This was not to be forgotten. This is a great practice of dancing improvising, socializing, grounding... Also a place where my three dance performances have been based in.

My involvement with the jam changed after my relationship with Shirin changed. This past few weeks I have started going back and re-discovered the wonder of this world. Keep going, and perhaps get involved in it in a new way, a project.

- Lessons w/ Brian Katz: I had greatly benefited from Brian’s lessons in so so many ways. I wanted to go back. No only for composition, but for a practice of real musicianship. He is a man of great diversity and his practice is well connected to movement.

I don’t know if I want to go back to him again, or not. I really appreciate his musical practice his teaching of the very very basics. I know he looks up on you and then he doesn’t, and that’s a bit weird. But he’s always encouraged me. I should go back to him as a mentor, and show him some of what I’ve been doing. But when and what and how? I think it’s best to speak to him.

- Irene Markov: I had wanted to learn more about the great musical traditions of East Europe and Turkey, especially in singing, and as well on the instrument.

Not now I know, because Shirin is involved there and I don’t want to get in her way. But speaking with her once shouldn’t hurt. Also these are readily available for research. For listening, picking up, appropriating, using. Why don’t I do it?

- George Sawa: Arabic music has also been my passion and I wanted to know more about this world.
I was just overwhelmed with work, so our original correspondence was left unfinished. I must just see what I want and what not. I should choose my courses.

Projects:

Of course I didn’t have that many things set, my plan was to leave town after all, but I was hoping to do the following:

- Collaborate with Tracey Norman (music for Modern dance)
- Start a world music band. A sort of fusion band with some of my own music.
- Composing music for myself.
- Dancing



What I’ve done Since September:

1- “Caligula” Collaborative Improvised Music for theatre.

2- Remounting of “pooed-out: a fooDance improviseDigestion” for reView at York University (Interdiscpilinary – Dance,Theatre,Video,Voice)

3- MurMurMur (Guest violinist for TreMur) one night, one piece of music by singer/songwriter Ariel Brink

4- Music for Contact jam Musician of the month of October.

5- Gig with Vanessa and Andrew Haust: open improv

6- Music for Roger Greenwald (music for poetry)

7- Recording for Babak Divani (kamanche)

8- Performing with Trichy Sankaran for Barak Ben Nathan’s memorial.

8- Concert with Regina’s crew

9- Contact dancing for IsoSpin with Alex Perlman

10- humble appearances at the improve soiree


PROJECTS ON THE GO:

- Working towards a solo recording album for Vanessa’s record label (aiming to finish in the summer) My own compositions and improv…

- Performing with Vanessa (duo performances) open and structured improv

- Collaboration with Tracey Norman (composition for dance performance) /March/April/May

- Another Persian music ensemble (performing next September)

- Recording with Riq for Lily’s Dance piece (End of January)

SECRET PROJECTS ON MY MIND:

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